Low-temperature distillation retort



July 27,1926. 1,593,916

G. E. ROHMER LGW TEMPERATURE DISTILLATJIONv RETORT WlTNESSESI Jly 27, 1926.

G. E. ROHMER LOW TEMPERATURE DI STILLIATION RETORT Filed May 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES,

Patented July 27, "11926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GABRIEL E. BOIIMEB, orvNEw Yonx, n. Y., ss'IGNon, BY DIRECT AND MESNE .as-

SIGNHENTS, T ARTHUR VERNQN ABBOTT,

or RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

I LOW-TEMPERATURE DISTILLATION RETORT.

Application mea my 1s', 1925. 'seran no. 30,007..

This invention pertains to new, and imroved means employed in the art of reguating the internal temperature of rotary drum-shaped retorts used for the low tem-y l? perature distillationv of coalscontainng different percentages of volatilematters or of oil bearing shale.

The prlme object of the invention is to provide novel and thoroughly efcientmeans forthe low temperature distillation or carbonization of bituminous coals, said means consisting of anlespecially designed externally heated retort of rotary cylindrical type which is adapted to insure a uniformity of temperature inside the -distillation chamber thereof. A

Another object of thev invention is to provide a retort forming' a pair of outer cylindrical casings, and. an inner pair of cylindrical casings, with a distillation chamber between each pa'ir of casings, each pair of casings being adapted to receive between vthem vessels containing lmolten metal.

Further objects of this invention are to u .so construct the retort that high volatile coals will vield their most v valuable by-prod'- ucts at'relatively low distillation tempera- I tures (between 300 C. andi-600 0.); so

l that the amount of volatile matters conl0 tained in the resulting semi-coke can be easily controlled, thus permitting the. production of coal residues containing enough volatile matters to allow their utilization as smokeless fuels, and so as to utilize the heat conducting qualities o f certain metals, such as lead, tin'or other low melting point nonferrous elements by theV use of flasks or vessels filled with suitable quantities of said metals,r said. asks or vessels being disposed' 40 within the inner and outer pair of casings of the retort, thereby radiating the absorbed heat, .and producing an' easily controllable uniformity of temperature within the distillation chamber.

45. The foregoing and such other objects as may appear om are attained by the combination, arrangement, construction and location ofthe sev- -eral parts hereinafter morefully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed ,out in the claims `appended hereto, it being understood that the ensuing description the preferredtype of retort is horizontahbut it is readily obvious that retorts having inclined -or vertical gdrums could be evolved, and that other changes in the precise construction and` minor details of my invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or .sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification it will be seen that Figure 1 is a' longitudinal sectional elevation of -my Improved retort taken through the central portion thereof, and

Figure`2 is a transverse section taken in the plane of the dotted lines 2-2, Fig. 1.

In the embodiment o f my invention as illustrated, it 1 designates aconcrete foundation, although any desirable material may be utilized in will be seen that the numeral the construction'of said'foundation for the support of the refractory structure 2 at the base in which are arranged the compartv ,ments 3. In each of these compartments and above the retort the 'burners 4 are so disposed as to vgenerate vthe heat required for the process of low temperature distillation or carbonization. Y

'The retort 5 is rdrum-shaped, and com'- osed of a plurality of cylindrical casings 6, .11 and 12 forming the annular distillation chamber 8, and between said casings 6 and 11 are 4disposed steel asks' or vessels 9, while other steel flasks or vessels 9 are dlsposed between the casings'? and 12, each'of said flasks or vessels being filled with lead, hermetically sealed, and housed within the channel members 10, ywhich are riveted-to the casings 6 and 11 and 7l and y12, respectively, said casings being secured together as a rigid unit. by ythe brackets 52. l I

At the discharge end of the retort is lixedly secured a tire rim 13, adapted to engage with the rollers 15 and at the opposite end of said retort is rigidly secured .a ear tire rim 14, and the pinion 16 keyed to t l17, and'driven by the pulleys 18 and. 19, for imparting the motive powerrequlred to revolve the retort. y The combustion chamber built around the retort has its walls filled in 'witha suitable insulating material 20, and supports an arch e shaft- 50 provided at its top with exhaust outlets 21, fitted with regulators 22, and leading to the flue 23, through which the combustion gases generated by the burners is allowed to escape.

Embedded at their bases in the concrete foundation are suitable buckstays 24, adapted to furnish the necessary reinforcements required by the combustion chamber, while the circular asbestos flaps 51, secured to the masonry, serve as diaphragms to prevent the escape of heat and combustion gases around the periphery of the retort.

The feeding end of the retort is equipped with the hopper 25, the air tight coal distributing valve 26, a screw feed conveyer 27, a driving pulley 53, and stuing box 28, while at the discharge end, the retort is equipped with a truncated cone discharge apron 29 encased within the gas chamber 30 surmounted by a series of gas or vapor outlets 31, and a stufiing box 32 adapted to render the connection between the gas chamber and the truncated discharge apron absolutely air tight, a discharge air tight valve 33 being fitted at the base of the gas chamber and empties into the discharge screw conveyer 34.

-A coolingcone 35 is housed within the gas manifold and is disposed concentric-with the longitudinal center of the retort and in turn houses the coils 36, and within said manifold is also disposed the tar drip collector 37 with the drip pipe connection 38 depending therefrom. Q

The plurality of'casings entering into the vconstruction of the retort are each formed in the shape of a 'truncated cone, with their largest diameters disposed at the discharge end of the retort, and the casing 6 forming the outer wall of the low temperature distillation chamber, is lined with angle iron ribs 39, said ribs running throughout the length of the retort and are slightly inclined inwardly along their entire lengths. To the ,inner wall ofthe low temperature distillation chamber'l is ixedly secured the flanged members 40, said wall being also provided with parallel longitudinal angle ribs 41 extending thel full length of the retort.

The operation of my novel apparatus may be described as follows The fresh coal 42 is dumped into the feed hopper 25 from whence it is distributed by the air tight valve 26 to the feed screw conveyer 27 operated by the pulley 53, and when 'leaving the conveyer the coal falls on the caused to fall von the shell 7 of the low temcasings.

retort, as owing to the inclination at which the ribs 41 are secured along the outside periphery of the inner group of cylindrical casings a gradual feed of the coal is obtained, and the material is discharged through the conical discharge 29 into the air tight valve 33, thence to the discharge screw conveyer 34. During the travel through the retort the coal is alternately retarded and advanced while being subjected to the distilling or desiccating action of the heat generated by the burners and radiating from the flasks or vessels containing the molten lead.

The caloric power of the burners is calculated to permit a degree of heat suiiicient to not only melt the lead but also to supply gradually and in a most effective manner the surplus heat which is radiated from the lead flasks or vessels.

It will be perceived that all gases resulting from lthe low temperature distillation action are kept from contact with the outer air by means of the stuffing boxes provided at each end of the retort, and that said gases with the surface of the cooling cone extend ing inside the gas chamber. In this manner and by cooling4 the distillation gases, their expansion and flow s eed are reduced, and greater eiiciency will be obtained by the equipment provided for the separation of tar and oils contained therein.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A low temperature distillation retort, comprising a drum formed of an outer and an inner pair of revolving concentrically disposed cylindrical casings, and a plurality of lead containing flasks disposed within the casings of each pair, whereby a distillation chamber is formed between said liasks.

2. A retort of the character described, comprising a drum formed of an outer and an inner. pair of revolving concentrically disposed cylindrical` casings, a lead containing vessel disposed within the outer pair of said casings, and a distillation chamber formed between the pairs of casings.

3. A retort of the character described, comprising a drum `formed of an outer and an inner pair of revolving concentrically dlsposed cylindrical casings, a plurality of vessels containing molten metal disposed within each pair of casings, and a distillation chamber formed between the pairsof 4. A retort of the character described,-

within each pair of casings, and a distilla` tion chamber formed between said containers.

6. A retort of the character described, comprising an outer and an inner pair of revolving concentrically disposed cylindrical casings,' a plurality of removable containers with molten metal therein disposed within each pair of casings, and a distillation chamber formed between said pair of casings.

7. A retort of the character described, comprising an outer and an inner pair of revolving concentrically disposed cylindrical casings, each pair of casings forming a truncated cone, a plurality of vessels containing molten metal disposed within each pair-of casings, and a distillation chamber :formed between said vessels.

8. A retort of the vvcharacter described, comprising an outer and an inner pair of revolving concentrically disposed cylindrical casings, means containing molten metal disposed within each pair of casings, a distillation chamber formed between said pair of casings, an air tight gas receiving chamber at the discharge end of said retort, and gas cooling means extending into said chamber.

9. A retort of the character described comprising an outer and an inner pair of revolving concentrically disposed cylindrical casings, removable means containing molten lead disposed within eachpair of casings, a gas chamber tted to the dischar end of the retort, gas cooling means extening within the chamber, and a distillation .chamber formed between said pairs of cas- 1n s.

IO. A retort of the character described, comprising an outer and an inner pair of concentrically disposed cylindrical casings, means containing molten metal disposed within each pair of casings, a distillation chamber formed between said pairs of casings, an air tight gas chamber disposed at one end of the retort, a gas cooling means extending into said chamber.

11. A retort of the character described, comprising an outer and an inner pair of revolving concentrically disposed cylindrical casings, means for containing molten lead disposed within the outer pair of casings, a discharge apron fixed to the discharge end of said retort, an air tight gas chamber fitted to said apron, and gas'cooling means extending into said chamber. A

l2. A retort of the character described, comprising an outer and an inner pair of concentrically disposed cylindrical easings, means containing molten metal dis osed within the casings of cach pair, a gas c amber fixed to one end of the retort,gas cooling means extending into said chamber, means for collecting tar within the chamber, and a drip connected thereto. 13. A retort of the character described, comprising an outer and an inner pair of concentrically disposed cylindrical casings,

'removable means containing molten metal disposed within the inner pair of casings, a distillation chamber formed between the said pairs of casings, a discharge apron tted to one end of the retort, a gas chamber fitted to said apron, gas cooling means disposed within the as chamber, and tar collecting means witin said gas chamber.

14. A retort of the character described, comprising an outer and an inner pair of concentrically disposed cylindrical casings, means containing molten metal disposed within each pair of casings, a low temperature coal distillation chamber formed between said pairs of casin apron fitted to one end of tse retort, a gas chamber communicating with the distillation chamber, gas coolin'g means disposed within the gas chamber, and tar collecting means within said gas chamber.

15. A retort of the character described, comprising an outer and an inner pair of concentrically disposed cylindrical casings, means containing molten lead disposed within each pair offcasings, a low temperature distillation chamber formed between said pairs of casings, and means within said chamber for alternately advancing and retarding the feed of the coal through said chamber.

16. In a retort, an outer and an inner pair of cylindrical casings, a distillation chamber disposed between the pairs of casings, and a removable molten metal container disposed within the outer pair of casings. y

17. In a retort, an louter and an inner pair of concentrically disposed cylindrical casings, a distillation chamber disposed between the pairs of casings, and a removable molten metal container disposed Within the inner pair of casings.

18. In a retort, an outer and an inner pair of concentrically disposed cylindrical casings, a distillation chamber disposed between the pairs of casings, and a removable molten metal container disposed within the casings of each pair.

a discharge 19. In a retort, an outer and an inner pair feed of the coal through said chamber, of concentricallyl disposed c lindrcal casmeans for feeding the coal from the chamings, a 10W temperature distil ation chamber ber, gas cooling means at the Vdischarge end 10 /disposed between the said4 pairs of casings of the chamber, and means for rotating said means containing molten metal dispose retort.

Within the casings ofeach pair, means for alternately advancing and retarding the l v GABRIEL E. ROHMER. 

